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Thirteen Random Things I've Learned In My Study of Christian Apologetics
1. The English word "apologetics" comes from the Greek noun "apologia" and the verb "apologeomi," meaning "to give a defense or reply" in the New Testament.
2. Biblical faith refers to a knowledge-based loyalty, to faithfulness.
3. The people of the biblical world differed greatly from our modern society. They valued honor and sought identity in family, religion and friends rather than in themselves.
4. Biblical love means looking out for the best interest of one another.
5. The relationship between God and men is described in the NT in terms of an ancient client-patron relationship. (See David deSilva's Honor, Patronage, Kinship and Purity.
6. The study of the Ancient Near East (ANE) is key to understanding Biblical culture.
7. The Bible contains narrative, poetry, proverbial literature, wisdom discourse, a treaty, legal codes, genealogies, biography, personal and general letters, rhetoric, riposte, and apocalyptic literature. Each should be read in context in regard to genre and in light of ANE.
8. A state of shame, of exclusion from God's honor and presence more accurately describes Hell than a place of torture.
9. Heaven is a place of honor where people will have direct fellowship with God. (Also see Randy Alcorn's book Heaven...I highly recommend it.
10. There are 24,000 copies of manuscript evidence for NT text in existence today as opposed to 643 copies of Homer.
11. Repentance is defined by John Calvin as "change of mind and intention" and by William Chamberlain as "a complete change in mental outlook and of life design."
12. Do as the Bereans did.
13. 1st Peter 3:15.
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